


Oh Death Rock Me Asleep

by lunasenzanotte



Category: Football RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Historical, M/M, Spain, Spanish National Team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-10
Updated: 2014-05-10
Packaged: 2018-01-24 05:35:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1593452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunasenzanotte/pseuds/lunasenzanotte
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Tudors are loosely based on Henry VIII‘s life. This is loosely based on The Tudors. As in, King Iker and his six husbands.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oh Death Rock Me Asleep

**~ I ~**

“It‘s a girl, your Majesty.”

Iker sighs and nods thoughtfully.

“A girl,” he repeats.

Another nine months of waiting ending in disappointment. The chamberlain watches him silently, probably expecting him to go and see the child or the King consort.

“Tell the stable-boys to saddle my horse, Gerard,” Iker says. “I‘m going hunting.”

~ ~ ~

The forest closes around him and he gets lost in thoughts, not paying attention to his company. He thinks of Villa, his husband, feeling some strange numbness like all the feelings suddenly evaporated, like perfume from an open bottle. Sweet and intoxicating once, nothing but an empty bottle with a faint whiff of what it had contained before remains.

He already knows that the only possible way is to get rid of him. He also knows it will not be easy. People love Villa, way more than they love Iker and now way more than Iker loves him. He still remembers the days he courted him, despite the match being done out of political reasons. Remembers the days of happiness, the tournaments he fought in Villa‘s name, the banquets he hosted to proudly present him to the court. But the desire for a male heir is stronger than any affection, it‘s his duty as a King to ensure a male heir to the throne, and, for God‘s sake, the duty of his husband is to provide him. And he will have a heir, if not from this man, then from another one. Whatever it takes.

~ ~ ~

Villa‘s eyes burn with anger and disdain when he informs him of his decision, the loving tenderness and devotion long gone from them. At least this they have in common.

“Divorce me?” he repeats quietly. “There is no reason for a divorce.”

“I shall find one,” Iker replies calmly.

Villa‘s lips form a tight line.

“Whatever reason you find, I will not accept it. I am your lawful husband, your only one, and the rightful King consort.”

And Iker is sure the whole country will think the same.

~ ~ ~

Iker still finds a way to get the divorce, sends Villa away from the court. It‘s only half of the plan. He needs to find a new husband. He has a picture in mind, a picture of someone young, of someone who wouldn‘t moralize or argue with him, of someone who would symbolize life for Iker, because he feels like he is dead inside.

And then his eyes fall on one man from his former husband‘s entourage.

**~ II ~**

They warn him about Cesc. They say that he is too beautiful, too lively, too clever, too sensual. That he is not a man for the King. Iker doesn‘t listen. He never listens.

He approaches Cesc on a banquet and the more he watches him, the more bewitched he is. Cesc dances with the same passion he breathes, smiles, lives. He‘s warm and alive, so different from the reasonable and restrained Villa.

Making love to him is like opening a garden full of secrets, a garden full of rosebuds that bloom into beautiful roses when touched. It‘s dizzying, addictive, new. Iker feels like he will never get enough of it, enough of Cesc‘s kisses, of his scent, of the low purring he lets out when Iker touches him just right. He‘s pliant, but never loses his face. A part of Iker, but an autonomous part.

~ ~ ~

The court hates Cesc with the same fervor Iker loves him. They call him “the King‘s whore”, of course only when Iker can‘t hear them, but he knows anyways. They hate him because they fear him, fear the influence he has on Iker.

And then the rumors start to spread and Iker can‘t close his ears nor his eyes before them. Possessive as he is of Cesc, he becomes paranoid, sees Cesc‘s lover in everyone who approaches him, a sign in every smile, every blink of his eyes, reads between the lines he speaks. The rumors are more and more often repeated. There is someone who‘s seen a man enter Cesc‘s chambers, someone who‘s seen him flirting with another, someone was entrusted with a letter from him.

Iker signs the arrest order with a heavy, and the execution order with even heavier heart. He almost feels like it‘s him who is going to die.

~ ~ ~

He receives a letter from Cesc, written in a hasty, almost messy handwriting, like he tries to write down the thoughts as they pass through his mind. He writes that he‘s innocent, that he would never betray Iker, that Iker is his only love, and if Iker‘s will is that he dies, he‘s no one to protest, but what hurts the most is losing Iker‘s trust and his love.

Iker burns the letter in the fireplace. He doesn‘t believe a word of it.

~ ~ ~

Iker watches Cesc climb the scaffold. He is wearing crimson red, like the first time they danced together. His face is a little paler than Iker remembers and the fire is gone from his eyes, but he‘s still beautiful.

He searches the crowd and a surprised look appears on his face when he sees Iker. His eyes linger on him for what seems like an eternity before he remembers it‘s time for him to make his final speech.

"Good people, I have come here to die,“ he says, his voice surprisingly strong, with just a subtle shake at the end of the phrase. "Pray for the King and never betray him as I, despite the accusations, have never betrayed him in my mind nor in my body. God will judge my offenses and I pray for Him to judge better than the court I stood before here.“

He kneels on the wooden floor and closes his eyes, lips moving in the final prayer. A flock of ravens roused by the swordsman picking up his sword flies above his head and he opens his eyes for the last time, locking them with Iker‘s.

In that very moment Iker can see the innocence in his eyes and it strikes him with such force that he raises from his chair. Breathless as it leaves him, he is one breath too late to stop the swordsman.

**~ III ~**

He sees the boy at another banquet. The banquets never end and Iker never stops to attend them, despite not having any reasons to celebrate. But the crowd of people, the music and wine sometimes take his mind off the darkest things.

The boy is beautiful, fragile, modest, with a childlike face. Perhaps it‘s the innocence shining through that freckled face that draws Iker to him. The wound in his heart is still open and he fears another one.

Fernando, which is the boy’s name, is shy at first, honored next and grateful finally. The court calms down when he becomes the King consort. No scandals can be expected from him, he’s quiet and not interested in politics at all, probably due to lack of proper education. Iker doesn’t mind it. He needs something else from Fernando than political advice.

~ ~ ~

Making love to Fernando is different from what Iker used to know with Cesc. Fernando has a different upbringing and different nature, he prefers his body to be covered by the blanket of silk and the blanket of darkness as well, prefers Iker not to say anything while they make love, maybe except for pure and innocent words like “I love you” or “you’re beautiful”. Immense difference between him and Cesc who liked Iker to comment on everything in the dirtiest words to the details. He’s sweet and gentle, searches Iker’s embrace before he falls asleep.

It’s still love, but of a different kind. Pure, simple, calm, like water surface when the wind isn’t blowing.

~ ~ ~

“It is a boy, your Majesty.”

The world stops spinning for a while, a wave of immense happiness hitting Iker and for the first time in long months curling his mouth up in a smile. They show him the child and he thinks that indeed his son looks healthy and strong. The future king, Iker can see the whole future in his eyes. Then he notices something in the servants’ eyes, something nobody knows how to say. He hands the baby back to the nurse and rushes to the bedchamber.

~ ~ ~

Fernando gives him a tired but proud smile when he enters the room. Iker tries to smile as well, but he understands everything. He sees Fernando’s hair sticking to his forehead, the feverish gleam in his eyes, the bloodied sheets.

He falls to his knees next to the bed and prays. He prays all night, holding Fernando’s hand until it lays still and cold in his.

They say the King never cries. But now he does.

**~ IV ~**

It has been three years. Three years of mourning, of closing himself from the outside world as much as he can do so as the King. But the world keeps turning and there are political issues that need to be solved, and what better way to get an ally is there than marriage?

When he meets Luka for the first time, he doesn’t know what to say. He is nothing like the advisors described him, nothing like Iker imagined him to be and not at all a man Iker would choose himself. Perhaps someone else wouldn’t find him unattractive, but Iker is used to choosing the most beautiful flowers in the garden. Education and culture can’t save anything as apparently it isn’t Luka’s strong point either. He doesn’t even speak Iker’s language enough to have a real conversation with him. But renouncing the marriage would be too risky now, the preparations are too far.

~ ~ ~

The wedding night can’t be even called a failure because nothing happens that could possibly fail. Iker can’t imagine even sharing the bed with Luka, leave alone producing heirs with him.

Aside from that, Luka is quiet, loving and understanding. It‘s not what Iker needs, though sometimes just having someone to be quietly present isn‘t that bad. But there is more to marriage than quiet presence, Iker thinks, and he doesn’t yet feel so old to content himself with a kiss on the cheek and a game of cards.

He can see only one solution.

~ ~ ~

When he announces he wants a divorce, Luka’s reaction almost makes Iker feel embarrassed. There is maybe a faint gleam of sadness in his eyes, but then it‘s replaced with the same calm and quiet understanding. He accepts without dramatic scenes. Iker is grateful for it.

He gives Luka everything he needs and much more. Two castles, servants, various properties that Iker has never even seen in his life and doesn‘t care about. He is glad to have him gone at first, not to have to look at him, the biggest failure of a marriage he has ever experienced.

Then he starts missing the quiet presence.

~ ~ ~

On Iker’s request, Luka attends the court often, rarely commenting about anything, but quietly observing. It is so that he knows first that Iker has fallen in love again. And there is no jealousy, no disapproval, no hatred. Often Iker finds him talking to the man he has chosen to be his future husband, despite the man not knowing about it yet. And it is Luka who opens the way for him somehow, the way to the heart of Sergio Ramos.

**~ V ~**

Sergio is joyful, carefree, playful like a child. There‘s a sparkle in his eyes that Fernando lacked and that reminds him of Cesc, but he’s much less cunning and more approachable. He laughs openly, speaks loudly and never gets embarrassed by anything. By his natural clumsiness, the crown falls off his head during coronation. Sergio just laughs and picks it up. They find one of the gems from the crown a week later while cleaning the chapel.

He’s exactly the same in the bedroom, playful, willing to discover. He’s maybe a bit too wild for Iker, who sometimes feels like he can’t fully satisfy Sergio without completely exhausting himself, but otherwise he is happy with Sergio.

Though more than ever, Luka is a welcome company whenever Iker’s head starts to hurt from Sergio’s loudness. Luka laughs at him, tells him he has what he wanted. And he indeed does. After all those years, he feels alive again.

~ ~ ~

Then an anonymous letter informs him that _with the deepest regrets_ the writer would like to _bring to the attention of his Majesty the indiscretions of his husband, who apparently took interest in a young courtier_.

Iker refuses to believe it at first, he’s afraid to believe it, to give in to the rumors, to repeat his old mistakes. He entrusts Raul, his most reliable advisor, to investigate the matter.

Raul brings him a letter written in Sergio’s distinctive handwriting that Iker chooses not to read. A few days later a chamberlain whom Raul promised money and a better position at court in exchange for information leads Raul inside Sergio’s chambers. When he opens the door, the mysterious man practically walks in his arms.

~ ~ ~

Iker longs to see the man who stole his Sergio from him, but when he finally stands face to face with the infamous Álvaro Morata, he understands that Sergio wasn’t stolen, he just gave himself away. All he sees is a scared young boy. _Awfully_ young. The list of accusations sounds ridiculous to Iker when he‘s looking at him. The boy doesn‘t probably even understand what the word “treason” means.

“...for which he shall be hanged, drawn and quartered...”

Iker laughs despite himself, interrupting the old judge who eyes him questioningly.

“Your Majesty?”

“The poor boy doesn‘t even understand what he has done... or rather what Sergio has done to him,” Iker says, his voice bitter at the end of the sentence.

The jury eyes him with astonishment. Iker feels tired. Too tired of this. He waves his hand.

“Spare him all that,” he says. “Simple beheading will do.”

Álvaro mumbles a quiet “thank you, your Majesty” and Iker thinks that there must be something seriously wrong with the world.

What a merciful king he is. Changing death for death.

~ ~ ~

He doesn‘t go to the execution this time. For him Sergio is already dead.

**~ VI ~**

After the abrupt end his affection to Sergio took, Iker stops lying to himself, stops pretending he is young and desirable. His next wedding is one out of reason, and don Xabi Alonso is far from a sensual, flirty creature he should fear suffering another heartbreak from.

It’s impossible for someone you don’t love to break your heart.

~ ~ ~

He hates Xabi with all the passion of an ill, miserable King close to death. Sometimes he just waits for a halo to appear above Xabi‘s head, sometimes he gets the impression Xabi waits for nothing else but Iker’s dying breath to finally set him free of this cage.

All credit given to him, Xabi is a man of manners, educated and intelligent. He spends most of the time writing something Iker doesn’t care about. He comes to nurse his husband sometimes, oblivious to the hateful looks and curses Iker spits out through gritted teeth. Iker would have him beheaded, but he is too tired and fears the process would take too long, so he wouldn’t finally get the satisfaction of witnessing the execution before his death.

~ ~ ~

He curses Xabi with the dying breath, for having no one else to curse than himself. And for that he is too big of a coward.

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to associate each of Iker‘s husbands to the wives of Henry VIII, so in order:
> 
> David Villa was Catherine of Aragon, whom Henry really loved but grew cold to her because she couldn‘t give him a male heir. Despite being sent away from the court and practically held a prisoner, she was admired by the English people and considered herself the only rightful Queen and lawful wife until the end of her life.
> 
> Cesc Fabregas was Anne Boleyn, whom Henry loved passionately but the court mostly hated her, calling her "the King‘s whore“. The accusations of treason and adultery against her were most likely false, and even immediately before her execution she swore to her innocence.
> 
> Fernando Torres was Jane Seymour, reportedly Henry‘s true love, though this could be influenced by the fact that she was the only one to give birth to a male heir. She died soon after, due to complications after the delivery.
> 
> Luka Modrić was Anne of Cleves, whom Henry didn‘t even want to marry as he was rather disappointed with her appearance. Nevertheless, after they divorced, they became very good friends.
> 
> Sergio Ramos was Catherine Howard, whom Henry loved because she was a combination of Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour. She fell in love with a courtier (Thomas Culpeper, here portrayed by Álvaro Morata) and the affair was discovered, a case built upon it and her previous relationships, and both were executed.
> 
> Xabi Alonso was Catherine Parr, Henry‘s last wife. She was well educated and published various books. She outlived Henry and then got married again, dying after giving birth to a child.
> 
> The title comes from the poem which is believed to be written by Anne Boleyn during her imprisonment in the Tower, shortly before her death. Also Cesc’s final speech is inspired by Anne Boleyn’s last words.


End file.
